Tuesday, August 31, 2010

{Warning: This is a Cheap, Shameless Plug and as such, please dis-regard as anything other than that if you're not interested! Please indulge me! }

For the past going on 8 years, I have been busting my tail as an Ag Teacher. Honestly, I love it and can't see myself doing very many other things... maybe a house wife, but since I'm a sort of missing the husband part, that one is out of the question for now. I love that I have the freedom to be in the classroom or take the kids outside and get dirty. I love working with the FFA program and I love my students (most days). What I hate is that the paycheck doesn't always cover my wants as fully as I would like... and my hectic schedule doesn't really lend itself to finding a second job to supplement my income, so... I've thought, and thought, and finally done something about it!

About a month ago, I decided that I would give the Pampered Chef a spin. I absolutely love their products and decided that being able to schedule shows around my crazy ag teacher hours would be the kind of job I might could handle!

I'm pretty excited that I earned three of the four bonuses offered to New Consultants in their first 30 days and have gotten really good responses from friends and co-workers who are just as crazy about Pampered Chef products as I am! On top of that, I have gotten a whole lot of amazing kitchen products! So much that I am gonna have to start cooking more!

One of the best bonuses that I earned was a 90 day subscription for my personal Pampered Chef Website where I can take orders and book shows. If you're interested in checking it out, the address is:

Sunday, August 29, 2010

I am quite positive that none of these things make a bit of sense to you readers out there, but that would about sum up my last week.

Anyone who knows my family knows that my Grandparents live with my parents. For a while, when my parents would need to be gone, I could stay at my house and just check on the grands, but lately, they are getting more and more where they need someone at night- just in case. So, when my parents hauled Eric out to Arkansas on Saturday, I moved in with the grands for 4 nights. (In case you've never heard me say it, my mom is a straight up saint... I couldn't do it!) From rescuing the 4 wheeler from the garden to the multiple daily phone calls to find out when I was coming home to finding Daddy's gator had been hijacked by Poppa... It was a busy couple of days.

On top of that, Monday was the first day back to school and I'm gonna have to admit that I was not prepared. To tell the truth, I was more unprepared this year than I ever feel like I have been. I usually spend the weekend before school starts in my classroom cleaning and putting up my "special" bulletin board. But, this year, I spent the weekend doing a Pampered Chef Kitchen Show and Chauffering the grands to and from Church... needless to say, that bulletin board is still blank. (Don't worry, the idea is still there, I'll surprise the kids one of these days)

As I pulled out of my driveway one morning this week however, I fell in behind the school bus that I used to ride. The same lady is still driving that bus, which made me get a little sentimental. I can remember many mornings waiting at the end of my drive way (and I mean mine, not mom's) for the bus to pick us up after eating Breakfast at Granny's kitchen table. I can remember getting off that bus and running to the house to eat raisen bran and watch the Dukes of Hazard with my brother and cousin. And I can remember how wonderful it was when I was finally old enough to be able to drive myself to school... even if it was in the Isuzu Pup that Carrie was so embarrassed to ride in!

This week was also full of rain... might have had something to do with dog days, but not quite sure. (What exactly are Dog Days???) I think I was told correctly that we got 7 inches of rain at the school on Tuesday or Wednesday (The days are all running together) and I can believe it. The entire football field parking lot was at least ankle deep in water and we had to bus the kids over from the middle school to the ag building. (Is that crazy or what?) Thank goodness for my absolutely amazing Chiefland FFA Golf Umbrella... it kept me from drowning even though my feet were soggy!

Finally, this afternoon, Mom, Daddy and I rounded up the cows and weaned calves. As Daddy headed to the Market with those sweet babies, I thought about how the beginning of the school year is kinda like "weaning-time" especially for those little ones at the Elementary School. As I write this, I can still hear those mama cows calling to those babies who are off to a new adventure.

Its been a long hot summer, and I can say without a doubt that I am so ready for cooler weather, football, pumpkins and a regular school routine. This last week was so crazy, that I can't wait to see what this next week brings!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Its so hot around my place that I don't know what to do... I get a shower and feel like I have to towel off three times before I manage to get dressed... (I know, that might be a bit too much info, but the point I'm making is that without AC... well, its hot) yet even with the heat, there's something sweet around my little house these days... and its not the smell of 4 o'clocks blooming.

I was sitting in the living room the other evening with my mom, favorite Aunt (I can say that on here since none of my 8 Aunts read my blog) and brother Eric and I was thinking about how good life is these days. Ok, so my financial situation isn't exactly where I would like it to be, but hey, my wants and desires are finally coming to terms with my income... a lesson it only took me way to long to learn. And, I'm not exactly over run with romantic suitors... but you know, I'm not exactly sure that's a top priority right now either. I look around and see some home repairs that I need to work on once the paychecks start coming back in, but other than that... well, my life right now is... if not good... extremely laid back. And that horrible birthday that I was dreading so much... well, 30's actually been pretty good to me... I seem to feel more comfortable in my own skin these days... which is a good feeling. And work... well, God takes better care of those things than we ever could... no complaints there!

For those of you who don't know, my precious Eric is moving out to Arkansas in about a week. Rusty and Lisa have helped him figure out how he can go to school and rodeo for Rusty (who finally got a real job as a college professor!?!?!). Now you might ask why he's my precious Eric... well, he's the best roommate I've ever had... it was great... I did laundry and he fixed things... we neither one watched scarry movies... never had bathroom issues... and he would eat anything I took a notion to cook... how much better of a roommate could you ask for? He's also precious because for the past few years, it's been the two of us who took care of things, helped the parents, did most of the "farm-work" that our other brothers used to handle... since both of them got married and moved away! I'd have to say, he and I are pretty dang tight... so, to say that I'll miss him is putting it a bit mildly! (I'll probably shed a few tears, but you know that's just me, so it doesn't really count) But at the same time, I am so excited for him! What a great opportunity... one that he did a lot of praying about before he decided to take the plunge.

Yep... there's a lot of changes going on in my little world... but inspite of it all, I am feeling like things are going my way... Should I break out in a chorus of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning?"